


His Sanctuary

by Arualiaa, mendacium_dulce (lux_veritatis)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, As the main plot begins in Harry's first year, F/M, Loss of Sanity, M/M, Maledictus!Nagini, Nagini raises Harry, Past Abuse, Slytherin Harry Potter, Suicidal Thoughts, This fic is no canon retelling, it will take a while until any of the aforementioned pairings come to existence, past toxic relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:15:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22186954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arualiaa/pseuds/Arualiaa, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lux_veritatis/pseuds/mendacium_dulce
Summary: When Nagini takes little Harry from his crib on that fateful night and disapparates with him, betraying her Master to protect him from his own madness, the last thing she expects is to grow attached.Harry Potter grows up on the run, looking for ways to restore the sanity of the very man who wants to kill him and his new guardian.Attending Hogwarts, keeping a low profile and trying to avoid both the Light and Dark sides might prove to be their most difficult task yet.---Now with an incredibly gorgeous piece of title art by the amazingly talented @coelacanthh on twitter~
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, Harry Potter & Draco Malfoy & Pansy Parkinson, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Nagini & Harry Potter, Nagini/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 50
Kudos: 493





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As this fanfic also doubles as a roleplaying thread, there will be lots of POV shifts.
> 
> The characters written by Arualiaa are: Harry, Voldemort, Draco  
> The characters written by mendacium_dulce are: Nagini, Diary!Tom, Pansy

To say that Voldemort was _ecstatic_ was an understatement.

Bella, Barty and the Lestrange brothers were busy neutralising the other possible prophecy child, but he could feel it in his bones. Potter was the one, he was sure of it.

Young James Potter was an easy target. Bumbling and wandless like a fool, he died as he lived: in complete irrelevance. What little he had accomplished in his short life was thanks to _him_ : only in war had he gotten the chance to prove himself, and even then he had only fought as part of a group.

It was anticlimactic, a bit pathetic, but terribly convenient. With a sadistic smile, he cocked his head towards his companion, in human form for once. She could hardly wield a wand as a snake, and deadly as she may be, she would be worthless as backup in the off-case this was a trap.

“What an atrocious host. Did not even think to take our coats,” he commented mildly, before pointing his wand towards the door. “We better let ourselves in, then.”

And with that, the door exploded into hundreds of splinters, making the girl upstairs _shriek_.

He was supposed to spare her, was he not? The Snape boy was a useful asset, and if sparing her life would ensure his loyalty, then so be it.

He _hadn’t_ promised to keep her unharmed, though. If she ended up too broken and traumatised for Severus to court afterwards, he should have specified further.

“This should be interesting,” he muttered to himself, before remembering that, right, Nagini was still there. “That little firecracker upstairs will have to choose between her life and her son. I wonder what will happen to her bravado then.”

Not that he would ever spare her son. He was the very reason he was there, after all.

And he would be the perfect sacrifice for his eighth horcrux. He had yet to claim Gryffindor’s Sword, and who else would be better than the Light’s future weapon, coming from Gryffindor parents?

His smile widened as he stepped into the house, expecting Nagini to follow. She always did – her obsession knew no limits, truly.

Although, he had to admit it was quite pleasant to have someone who had stuck around for so long and would always come back no matter what. He would have to reward her loyalty one of these days. As a celebration of his ultimate victory, perhaps.

Speaking of said victory...

He never heard the whispered, stuttering chanting from upstairs over the creaking wood of his own steps, or felt the hasty foundations of a blood ritual being formed.

He was too focused on his goal.

*******

Her sanctuary had been set aflame.

With every horcrux ritual and every further modification of his body, the man who had been her _raison d'être_ from the moment they had first crossed paths had been further reduced to a mere shell of his former brilliant self, and by now, there was nothing left but madness.

There was no tenderness in his voice when he called her his precious, no warmth to his touch, and had his presence been like a soothing balm before, it was now suffocating.

However, Nagini never left his side, for after he had given her a purpose and home, after he had taught her to realize her own worth that by far exceeded that of the subhuman _freak_ she had once believed herself to be, it was her duty to remain at his side when he was at his worst, to steer him away from his worst decisions.

And yet, there were times neither her begging nor arguments founded on cold logic were enough, and all she could do was to continuously risk her life and wellbeing to ensure that her Master's actions didn't lead to the worst outcome. 

When they entered the Potter house despite Nagini's pleas to not pay any heed to a prophecy that was so obviously flawed and potentially self-fulfilling, there was nothing she could do but watch from the sidelines when the light faded from James Potter's eyes and her Master spoke about Lily Potter's torture with so much glee in his voice.

She didn't care about the Potters' fate, didn't care about the baby upstairs, for Nagini would raze the entire world to the ground if it were the key to restoring her beloved Master to his former self, and even in his current state, she would both kill and die for him.

If the infant's death at least gave him some temporary peace of mind, Nagini was willing to further stain her hands with the blood of innocents.

It was when she contemplated dealing the killing blow herself to minimize the chances of her Master being harmed by the seer's prophecy that she picked up on the sound of soft chanting, and her eyes widened.

“Lily Potter is performing a ritual,” she whispered. “You need to proceed with caution.”

She already knew that asking him to turn back would be futile.

*******

The hood casting a shadow over his face hid most of his reaction to Nagini’s warning, beyond the tightening of his jaw and the downward turn of his mouth.

A ritual? He should have sensed it–

...there. _There_ it was. Voldemort reached out with his magic, and he felt something else stir, obeying commands, a too-light magic struggling against its mistress’ bidding- and the reason was obvious.

“Dumbledore is teaching his pets dark rituals now?” He scoffed. “This little girl is playing with what she does not understand, so your concern is unwarranted. But rest assured, she _will_ pay for this stunt.”

Lily Potter had been a bit more of a thorn on his side, he had to admit. While her husband and his friends’ exploits had been easy enough to deal with once he finally got a hold of weak little Wormtail and exploited his insecurities, she, on her own, had caused enough trouble for him to consider not humouring Severus’ request.

Whatever pathetic attempt at dark magic that pesky potioneer was concocting up there, it could be nothing he – who had gone to lengths no one else had dared to in order to achieve immortality and superiority in every single aspect – could not handle.

So he proceeded upstairs, and allowed his magic to open the door he could hear muffled crying from.

Lily Potter turned abruptly, protecting the crib with her body, as he knew she would. She brandished a knife.

A _knife_.

“Do not tell me you are wandless too. Did you and your husband decide to live as _muggles_?” He groaned, easily disarming her. The knife flew to his free hand, handle-first. “Would you like to die like a muggle, perhaps?”

“Please...” She whimpered. “If this will satisfy you then do it, but don’t hurt my son...”

“No. Step aside, and save your life. Go live as a muggle elsewhere for all I care,” he said, gesturing with the knife and pointing it towards the window, dismissively.

“Don’t kill Harry, take me instead!” She pleaded, her green eyes wide and puffy from her crying. Voldemort wondered if she was clinically stupid. 

“Save yourself. You can have more children, but this one is mine. _Move_.”

“Don’t kill him, please, have mercy...”

This wasn’t nearly as amusing as he had hoped. He, in fact, was starting to lose his patience, _very_ , very quickly. His entire body language radiated annoyance.

“I will not repeat myself. Step aside, silly girl. End this charade.”

She did not budge. “Please...”

Voldemort saw _red_. Even when begging she remained defiant, and this would not do: he would get this problem out of the way before it became a problem, he would get his horcrux, he would _kill this woman_. Gritting his teeth, he uttered the spell.

“ _Avada Kedavra.”_

Several things happened at once. Voldemort had thrice refused to spare a willing sacrifice, triggering the complex runework carved under the crib, and completing the protective ritual. A piece of Voldemort’s soul, sensing his intent to create a horcrux, flung off him and latched itself onto the toddler, anchoring itself into the last protective rune, carefully cut on his forehead and disguised under a glamour.

And said infant stared at them both, wondering why his mummy was on the floor. Weren’t they going to help her up? Why was he feeling so uncomfortable? His head hurt.

It left Voldemort deeply unsatisfied, and most importantly: unaware of what had happened. He felt the familiar emptiness of losing a soul piece, the calm sort of detachment, and thought nothing of it, disgruntled by the fact that he had lost his temper and ended up killing the young woman. 

Severus wasn’t nearly as loyal as Nagini. His devotion would waver, and he would have to take some... _measures_.

It had happened so cleanly, too. He could have maimed her while alive for making him waste his time, but he missed that opportunity.

There was something else he could try that night, however. Voldemort was nothing if not innovative, and horcrux-making was no exception to that. Nagini, a human horcrux, was his best experiment yet.

But what with her curse, her humanity was in question. He had made a horcrux indirectly, before: ordering the basilisk to kill Myrtle Warren had been enough. Asking the same of Nagini was the next logical step, and then he could try if murders performed on his orders by uncursed humans would count in the horcrux-making process.

He was already breaking the magical number of seven, so he might as well push the limits further.

“Nagini, my preciousss...” He murmured, unknowingly slipping into a sibilant tone, like poisoned honey. “I know I just cast the spell that allows you to shift back, but I need something from you. The piece of my soul inside you might allow you to create horcruxes in my stead, and I wish to test that theory.”

What he had in mind wasn’t necessary for the ritual by any means, but it would certainly sweeten the deal. It might even improve his mood after such an infuriating night.

“Kill the boy for me, Nagini. Strike him with your venom,” he said in an almost intimate whisper, his eyes glowing a bright, bright scarlet under his hood, reflecting the moonlight. “ _Eat him_.”

*******

Harry Potter’s gaze shifted between them both, calm and uncomprehending. He slipped a tiny hand between the crib’s bars, attempting to reach out to the hooded man and the pretty lady so they would help his mummy.

***

Nagini's fingers tightened around her wand as her Master refused to pay attention to her warning, already bracing herself to jump between him and any kind of danger that awaited them, and she didn't lower her guard even upon seeing Lily Potter's puffy eyes, the useless knife in her hand, for her Master had been quick to underestimate ever since he had created his fifth horcrux, making it her duty to remain cautious in his stead.

Something was wrong about the picture the fiery former Gryffindor presented, and a frigid shiver went down Nagini's spine at every instance of the young woman pleading for her son's life instead of fighting back, yet there was nothing she could do, nothing she could say that wouldn't fall on deaf ears.

Not even the young woman's lifeless body eased her fear that was all but paralyzing, and it was then that she could sense a piece of her Master's soul, tiny and mangled, yet undoubtedly a horcrux, less than three meters away from them, and realization dawned on her.

She was just about to warn him a second time, tell him about the horcrux he had created without noticing, about the fact that he might _die_ instead of the child, should he attempt on his life, when he addressed her again.

Her Master's words pierced her like a dagger, sharp and icy, for he couldn't have asked anything of her that was crueler in nature. Never before had he asked her to _devour_ the one he had tasked her with killing; never before had he treated her like the _beast_ his past self had claimed she was not over and over again.

Her mind was racing a mile per minute as she pondered the options available to her, reaching dead end after dead end – all of which would result in her Master's death or worse – until finally, one single option remained.

“As you wish, Master,” she murmured, blinking away tears before they could threaten to form, and started walking towards the boy, slow and almost seductive in her movements as she tried to conceal her clamoring heartbeat, the fact that something turned and twisted in her stomach – something gradually eating away at her with every step she took closer to the crib and farther away from her Master.

There was but a single logical thing to do, yet it would destroy the remains of everything she cared for, hence when she lifted the little boy from the crib all but carefully and held him against her chest, her tears did fall at last.

“I'm so sorry, Master... _Tom_ ,” she whispered, and her lip began to tremble as she disapparated with a loud crack.

Immediately upon arriving at her destination, a small nameless alley close to Diagon Alley, Nagini placed the infant on the ground before sinking onto her knees next to him, and violent sobs racked her entire body for the very first time in her life.

She had betrayed him – him, the only one she cared for, knowing that the next time they crossed paths, he would not hesitate to take her life. Never again would she know the comfort of his warm embrace, never again would she be told that she _mattered_ , that there was a difference in whether she lived or died, and it couldn't have been more tempting to hand the little boy over to the Order before taking her own life, for without Tom in it, it was devoid of any kind of meaning.

And yet, there was no guarantee that the Order was capable of defending the boy from her former Master, that they didn't realize that the Potter boy was a living horcrux and kill him themselves, and as her tears continued to fall freely, it occurred to her that she, who also carried a piece of Tom's soul within her, had to keep living and protect the boy for Tom’s sake even if it meant to gut herself in the process and walk this earth as a living corpse.

Finally raising her head and gazing at the starry sky, Nagini resolved to make the greatest sacrifice.

***

Voldemort watched, pleased, as she complied. She did not immediately shift, but she got closer to the Potter boy and picked him up: a good idea, he thought with the beginning twitches of a smile. He had clearly not given her enough credit if she planned to give the toddler room to run away and turn it into a _chase_.

Except she never placed him on the floor. She turned around, tears in her eyes.

Something stirred in his mind. Had he ever seen her cry?

When was the last time he had _cared_?

_I’m so sorry, Master..._

What was she-

_Tom._

Confusion made way for overwhelming, all-encompassing _rage_. She, who would never dare betray him... just _had_. And she had used _that_ name while doing so, to add insult to injury. He had trusted her, all these years–

But never again.

Voldemort _growled_ , kicking Lily Potter’s cooling body as he felt his magic respond to his turmoil. The nursery’s furniture started breaking down, the walls growing cracks under the pressure, and his anger filling... what?

It was not a hole in his chest, it was _not_. He had taken her for granted, and that had made him grow complacent, he had not watched her closely enough.

She had defected. She was a traitor. And Voldemort knew exactly how traitors needed to be dealt with. Especially ones who had escaped with such precious cargo as his _own soul_ and his fated enemy.

As the Potters’ cottage suffered his magic’s onslaught, powered by an inexplicable sadness, he _swore_ he would find and kill them both.

No matter what it took.

***

Harry didn’t understand why the pretty lady was so sad. She had started crying when she picked him up, and then he got very sick and started crying too, scared. Where were they? He was tired and cold.

He wanted his mummy and daddy.

But there was only the sad, pretty lady. His sobs died down as hers grew in intensity.

Did she want her mummy and daddy too? Sniffling, he shuffled closer and curled up against her. She was warm, and smelled nice.

Harry closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep, hoping that his parents would be there when he woke up, and that he and the lady wouldn’t be sad anymore.

The tear tracks on his face never quite dried.


	2. Chapter 2

“Have you packed your cauldron, your wand, your phials, your telescope, and your scales?” Nagini asked as she fixed the collar of Harry's shirt and adjusted his tie.

It wouldn't do if he appeared at Hogwarts, showing any kind of weakness, hence she was especially adamant about confirming whether he had truly put everything they had purchased for him a week before in his bag, and she was immune to any annoyed glances directed at her.

Her plan of convincing Dumbledore to send Harry a Hogwarts letter and allowing him to bring a _'pet snake'_ by having Harry write a letter of his own had resulted in a success, for Dumbledore must have known that indulging the boy who could prove to be a major asset to his war efforts was the only way of persuading him to come to his castle in the first place.

As she proceeded to tame Harry's unruly hair with advanced dark magic, she thought about how she would get to visit the school that had been so dear to Tom herself, even if it would be in her abhorrent snake body, and she didn't know whether what she felt was excitement or pain.

Giving Harry a final assessing look from head to toe, Nagini said, “You look very proper and handsome today,” and tenderly kissed his forehead, and for a moment, it was too easy for her to forget about the darker direction her thoughts had taken. 

“Do you remember what I told you about the way you need to interact with Dumbledore's faction and the Order?” she then asked, and her features took on a more serious expression. “You mustn't let them know about your true loyalties, yet at the same time, you ought to be careful to not be swayed by their words and actions either. If they treat you with kindness, always remember that there will be an ulterior motive behind it.”

She had already admonished him many times to never, under any circumstances, let a single soul know about his ability to speak to snakes as well as her nature as a Maledictus, for it would most likely lead Dumbledore to the conclusion that he was a horcrux and effectively turn Hogwarts into a vicious death trap rather than a safe haven.

*******

Harry rolled his eyes, huffing slightly.

“Yes, I have, and I triple-checked,” he said, groaning as Nagini fussed over his appearance.

Really, she was making it _very_ , very tempting to say ‘yes, mum’ sarcastically, if it weren’t for the fact that she hated that.

And it would be kind of disrespectful to his birth mother, wouldn’t it? Apparently she had been a nice, loving woman. Sometimes Harry wished he could remember her.

But it was pointless to think about it, right? Nagini was the only parent he had ever known, and he couldn’t ask for a better one, really.

Even if she _insisted_ on making sure he looked like a schoolboy from the old muggle black and white movies. He always felt a bit stuffy when she did his hair with magic.

It was worth it when she got that approving look in her eye, though. 

“Naginiiiii...!” Harry whined, an embarrassed flush creeping up his cheeks, when she gave her verdict and kissed his forehead.

He sobered up, however, when Nagini reminded him yet again of the dangers of Dumbledore’s people. He had been thinking about it nonstop, and while he knew going to Hogwarts was important, he couldn’t help the feeling of dread sitting in his gut.

Because as much as Nagini cared about Voldemort, he had always been skeptical of him. He was the reason why they were in that position in the first place, even if he wasn’t in his right mind. Harry couldn’t help but resent him, because the truth was, his actual loyalty lay with Nagini.

And that man had hurt her, deeply. He wasn’t stupid. He could tell.

So he was fully prepared to have no friends at Hogwarts. If he couldn’t trust anyone associated with Dumbledore, and he couldn’t trust anyone associated with Voldemort, he only had himself and Nagini to rely on.

Harry chewed on his lower lip, looking down. He... he could be scared _now_ , right? There was no one else around.

“Nagini, I’m... I’m _worried_ ,” he said, because admitting he was absolutely _terrified_ and anxiety had been plaguing him for weeks wouldn’t go down well. “What if we’re found out? Will we be okay? ...will _you_? I’ll have to- I’ll have to talk about you as if you’re not a person, and- and you’ll have to-“

A lump in his throat didn’t let him continue. He took deep breaths, closing his eyes to calm himself down. She would be there with him. There wasn’t any reason to be worried, and yet-

“...can I have a hug before we go?” He mumbled, feeling a bit childish. Nevermind that he was eleven years old.

*******

Nagini was aware that Harry hadn't been doing well during the past few weeks, though he had been doing well in concealing it, for he had always acted far braver than he truly felt, and although Nagini had been doing her best to comfort him, she had rather quickly realized that there was nothing that would take away Harry's fears except for experiences that could prove him wrong about the pessimism they both shared.

It was for that reason that she wasn't surprised when Harry opened up about his concerns at last, showing that despite his occasional maturity, he was still just a boy carrying a far too heavy burden.

“You may,” Nagini murmured reassuringly, and pulled Harry into a tight embrace. She wouldn't tell him that she would miss holding him in her arms and being able to touch him like a mother figure would just as much as he appeared to already miss interacting with her in her human form.

“Everything will be alright,” she soothed despite her own doubts, and stroked his hair. “You're a capable young man and I will always be at your side, advising and protecting you. Besides, there is a place in the castle in which we can speak freely: A secret room only Tom used to know about. We shall make this room our base of operations. And I'll be able to assume my human form while we're in it. I can even read to you and help you with your homework. Would you like that, Harry?”

Only after about a minute did she pull away at last and handed Harry a map of King's Cross Station, including the exact location of the passage to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

“You have to walk directly at the barrier dividing Platforms Nine and Ten,” Nagini explained calmly. “If you are feeling scared, it is best to close your eyes and run. Though of course, you need to make sure you're not seen by any muggle while doing so.”

Placing her hands on his shoulders and seeking his gaze with her own, she asked, “Are you ready to depart? Do you remember the spell I taught you?”

*******

Harry melted in her embrace, closing his eyes as he let her stroke his hair. The soothing motions started to make his tense muscles ease up.

Sometimes, he was scared of disappointing Nagini. She was so strong, so determined, and nothing ever seemed to get to her. He wanted to live up to what she thought of him – to be that capable young man instead of a wimp who barely knew what he was doing.

She was right, however. She would be there, and if there was a secret place they could talk in, that was even better.

Sighing in relief, he had the smallest of smiles when Nagini pulled away.

“Yeah, I remember. The shrinking charm, Reducio,” he replied dutifully. Nagini’s wand wasn’t exactly the best match for him, but with her permission to use it, it responded a bit better.

He still remembered Ollivander’s almost too-knowing eyes, gazing at him for an uncomfortable amount of time when he got his own wand after an hour of trial and error.

“How curious,” he had said. “The phoenix whose feather is in this wand only gave one other feather... the brother of your wand belongs to You-Know-Who himself. It is safe to say great things are to be expected from you. After all, he has accomplished great things, as well. Terrible, but great nonetheless.”

Harry didn’t like the implication. He didn’t like how Ollivander had kept on watching him as he left in a rush with his new wand.

He had never even asked for his name, but he’d seemed to _know_.

Shaking his head to focus, his grip on the map tightened.

“I’m ready.”

Or as ready as he could be for an eight hour train ride to a minefield of a school.

*******

“Very good, Harry,” Nagini praised him, relieved that at least some of the tension appeared to have left his small body, and gently patted his head.

Having exited the small hotel they had been staying at, Nagini cut off a young muggle, who was just about to climb in his car, and pointed her wand at his head. 

“ _Imperio,”_ she whispered, waiting for the stranger's eyes to glaze over as he helplessly succumbed to the might of her spell. “Would you be so kind as to drive us to King's Cross Station?”

“Of course,” the stranger muttered, allowing them to get in his car as well before starting the engine.

The drive was rather short, yet having opened the car's windows, Nagini drank in every second of the wind tousling her hair and caressing the soft skin of her cheeks. She didn't want to speak as she memorized the various sensations serving as proof that she was, in fact, human – sensations that would sustain her during the long periods of time she would be forced to spend as a snake, that would remind her of her own humanity.

Upon arriving at the parking lot closest to King's Cross, Nagini obliviated their unwilling driver and directed a meaningful glance at Harry before handing him her wand.

“As long as you remain cautious and do your best to blend in, you'll be safe at Hogwarts,” she said. “For that reason, it would greatly benefit you if you already started forming some connections on your train ride and made a good first impression on your new Housemates right after your Sorting. As we will no longer be able to converse freely from now on, doing so will also ensure that you won't be feeling lonely.” 

Reaching out to cup Harry's cheeks for a final time, she waited for a moment no one was looking in the direction of their car, and shifted into her snake form.

*******

Harry sighed, watching as Nagini imperiused a young man. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if any of the times they had taken advantage of muggles had led to terrible consequences. Was this man on his way to the hospital to see a dying loved one? Was he on his way to work? Would he be fired?

But in the end, he knew they had to prioritise. Being driven around by strangers was safer. Confounding a muggle waitress for a free meal when they were tight on money – Gringotts was a no-go, doing his school shopping had already been risking an ambush – was better than starving.

At least Nagini was always polite. It made him feel better about it.

Speaking of, she was staring into the distance. Harry worried about her. He knew she hated being in snake form, and she would have to play the part of an _exotic pet_.

He pressed his lips together tightly just thinking about it, and his heart clamored in his chest at the prospect of being around so many people. Some Death Eaters had children, he knew. They would be in the crowd.

_He would have to avoid them at all costs._

Harry nodded at Nagini’s words. The prospect of trusting other people was daunting, but he could at least be nice.

And with a last warm touch, she shifted. It was always mesmerising to watch how a beautiful lady like her could become a venomous snake the size of an anaconda, with sharp fangs and a body thicker than his leg.

“ _I’m so sorry,_ ” he hissed mournfully, pointing her wand at her, and concentrating.

He had to get it right. He had done his homework, reading on the subject whenever they passed by a magical book store, in hopes to ease his anxiety.

It hadn’t. Apparently, using the shrinking spell on a human being was considered complicated, and terribly dangerous. Nagini may have shifted into a snake, but she was still human. He could... accidentally shrink her brain and give her the mind of a two year old, shrink her heart and watch her die a slow and painful death, he could crush her squeezed by her own shrunken ribcage-

No. No! He had to focus. With all his might, and trying to steady his trembling fingers, he desperately wished for Nagini to shrink _safely_. He pictured it clearly in his head: please don’t die, please don’t die-

“ _Reducio._ ”

Harry inhaled sharply, cranking one eye open. Nagini wasn’t lying in pieces. She wasn’t wheezing for air. Her wand was shaking in his feeble grasp.

She was thinner, shorter. Small enough to wrap around his shoulders. Harry sighed in relief, shoulders sagging, nearly dropping the wand.

“ _A-are you okay?_ ” he hissed quietly, picking her up from the car seat, and hugging her close to his chest. It felt weird, to be able to just... pick her up, like that. “ _Does anything hurt? Are you cold? You should- you should probably hide under my robes until we’re safe in the train, I’ve been thinking about- what if someone in the crowd recognises you? And-_ ”

He cut himself off as a lady in a business suit walked briskly past them, high heels clicking on the ground. Right. There were _muggles_ around. And the man who drove them would snap out of his daze at any moment.

With a sigh, he grabbed his trunk and pocketed Nagini’s wand, next to his.

It was time to face the music.

*******

The sensation of her very bones shrinking was a highly unpleasant one, yet Nagini immediately noticed that Harry had cast the spell correctly, just like she had known he would be able to. After all, she had made him practice _thoroughly_ on both fragile objects and living animals until his performance of the spell was consistently flawless. 

Nagini hadn't told him that the spell she had needed him to cast was an advanced spell usually only taught to older students as to not add to his already present nervosity, hence when she experimentally moved her coils and her head and found there was nothing wrong with her smaller body, she felt a surge of pride for her talented student.

” _You have done well, Harry,”_ she praised him, allowing him to pick her up and conceal her under his robes.

Her words were barely above a whisper, for she, too, had picked up on the scent of a woman approaching them.

Harry was warm and his scent evoked nothing but pleasant associations. It was a scent that grounded her like _Tom's_ scent had always had before he had completed his research on reverting her curse to an earlier stage – a stage at which she was still able to shift freely – and discovered a spell capable of accomplishing such a feat, provided it was being cast on her on a regular basis. 

She had often pondered on how it was close to a miracle that the effects of her former Master's final casting of the spell continued to last until the present day, that she hadn't yet lost her ability to shift freely even after eleven years had passed.

It was a mystery she intended to solve the very moment the opportunity presented itself, so she could prolong the duration of the spell and remain capable of working on her plans as well as of protecting Harry; she didn't even want to think about what would happen when her former Master's spell inevitably lost its effect on her.

*******

Harry took a deep breath, steeling himself, and got out of the car. The price of wearing his robes and be able to hide Nagini was that he would draw attention to _himself_ : a child dressed strangely, no parents in sight, would raise lots of red flags, very very quickly.

He took a look at the map, knowing he would need to be _fast_. Platforms Nine and Ten. Platforms Nine and Ten...

He could do this. Pocketing the map, he hurried inside the station as fast as his trunk let him.

Harry vaguely remembered that the key to pretending to belong somewhere was to walk with purpose and like he knew what he was doing. Like he was supposed to be there and it was natural. So he walked briskly, looking straight ahead and avoiding anyone’s gaze. He hoped he was doing it right: Nagini might be hidden, but she would undoubtedly know if he was caught by a muggle. He didn’t want to disappoint her.

His heart clamored in his chest by the time he made it to Platform Nine, after a couple of detours when he forgot the way. Harry sighed in relief when he started to see the telltale signs of purebloods who didn’t quite know how to blend in.

A family of redheads, making a beeline for the brick wall. They wore mismatched clothing, were making a bit of a ruckus, and were loud enough to divert attention away from Harry. A black boy and his mother leisurely walking a bit further back, dressed in fashion straight out of a noir film. Harry could almost picture them as the _oh so sad_ grief-stricken extremely wealthy widow and the young heir of a massive fortune, crying crocodile tears in front of the detective investigating her husband’s mysterious death.

He was in the right place. Harry took a deep breath, and waited for the redheads to _disappear_ into the wall.

Logic said magic was involved here, and it would work as intended. But he couldn’t ignore the part of his brain that screamed that this was a _brick wall_ , as far as his eyes could tell, and he would collide with it _painfully_.

So, he followed Nagini’s advice, closed his eyes, and _ran_.


	3. Chapter 3

Standing before the majestic Hogwarts Express, Pansy Parkinson couldn't help but stop in her tracks for a moment and stare at it in awe. Its vibrant red color was a stark contrast to the boring-looking Muggle trains she had seen before crossing the barrier, and not even the war had taken away from its immense splendor.

Pansy knew that her family supported Voldemort's cause by making secret donations, and she, too, believed that it was a good cause, for it would finally elevate Purebloods like her to the superior status they had always deserved, finally create a society in which they stood at the top.

However, her parents had sternly admonished her to never betray her and her family's affiliation with Voldemort when interacting with Dumbledore's faction and any Order members and their children.

The war had been going on for more than a decade now, yet neither side had been able to make any considerable headway. It had turned into a war her parents were by now referring to as a 'war of attrition', a war that would be won by the side that outlasted the other, and her parents had told her that at this point, there was no way to tell which side would emerge as the victor. 

It was for that reason that it was vital for them to remain neutral on the surface, so they wouldn't face any negative consequences in the unfortunate case of Voldemort being defeated by Dumbledore. But Pansy didn't want to believe in such an outcome. She didn't want to live in a world in which her blood status didn't make her special – not when she was already an ugly duckling that had yet to turn into a beautiful swan, hence she resolved to become popular at Hogwarts regardless of her affiliation, for if she didn't they would all notice how _ugly_ she was, how pudgy her face, how tiny her nose.

_Pug-face! Pug-face! Pug-face!_

The vile insult reverberated in her head, causing her to wince, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as memories she had been trying to suppress came crashing down on her at once: There were children gathered around her in a circle, pointing at her and laughing, and their laughter only increased in volume as she was begging for them to _stop_.

Biting down on her bottom lip and squaring her shoulders, Pansy forced back the tears before they could trickle down her cheeks, and a look of fierce determination was etched on her features as she boarded the train.

She had been stepped on before, but this time, at her new school, _she_ would be the one doing the stepping.

*******

Harry had sworn he’d make quick work at boarding the train for their safety. He really, really had.

But he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks and _stare_.

The Hogwarts express was _beautiful_. The bustling crowd, while he knew of its hidden dangers, practically radiated excitement.

Even in times of war, people still found it in themselves to be happy. It filled Harry with a strange sense of hope.

“Nagini,” he whispered, in English. His voice was thick with awe. And he switched to the quietest of hisses. “ _Nagini, peek out for a second if you can, this is amazing._ ”

As he raised his gaze from her, however, he saw a blond boy with a pudgy face and a gaze that didn’t quite match the others. It was an expression he could relate to very well.

The poor bloke looked like he was knowingly walking into a _trap_. A severe-looking elderly woman sternly nudged him forward, towards the train.

Harry immediately felt a pang of sympathy. Walking slowly to let Nagini know what she was about to do, he approached him as the woman took a step back, and _watched_.

“Hey,” he said a bit quietly, offering a hand. “Are you nervous too? My name’s Harry.”

“N-Neville Longbottom,” the boy replied, shaking it meekly. A hint of a smile curled his lips. “Honestly, I’m... I’m just glad to be here at all.”

Harry liked this boy already. “Yeah. It means we’re alive, doesn’t it?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of... well... m-my family thought I was a squib, b-but, that too! We’re alive!”

Harry didn’t know if discussing one’s own mortality was the way to go to make friends, but he wasn’t complaining. He picked up his trunk, and with a bit of effort, boarded the train with Neville.

“I thought... I was the only one who w-worried about this-“ Neville cut himself off, as something _jumped_ out of his luggage. A glass terrarium stuck to his trunk: apparently he didn’t think to place a sticking charm to the sliding doors, because they had opened, and whatever was inside was gone. “Trevor! Trevor, _no_!”

Neville took off running with a panicked look, and Harry was alone once more. He sighed, and walked into an empty compartment, closing the door behind him.

“ _It’s a shame,_ ” he told Nagini. “ _He looked like a nice bloke, this Longbottom. Should I go help him find his familiar?_ ”

He didn’t have time to come to a decision, however, because soon the door opened, and he felt a pair of eyes on him. Judging him.

Looking up, he saw _another_ blond boy, his grey eyes staring him up and down. He apparently approved of Nagini’s work, because he nodded.

“You seem like good company,” he concluded. “Would you mind mine?”

“Er, sure! There’s plenty of room. My name’s Harry, what’s yours?”

“I’m Draco. Draco Malfoy,” the boy said, extending his hand in one fluid, practiced movement. Harry shook it, feeling clumsy in comparison. He _screamed_ pureblood heir. “So, are you just ‘Harry’, or would you happen to have a last name?”

Even though the question filled him with dread, he could appreciate a bit of sarcasm. “Ah, yes. I was brewed in a cauldron last week, that’s why I don’t have a last name.”

“Very funny,” Draco said flatly.

“I’m Harry Potter.” That earned him a frown, but it was one of _confusion_. Relief flooded his senses.

“I thought the Potters were dead. Relatives of yours?” Harry nodded, trying to look non-committed. “Oh, well. We don’t get to choose our family, do we?”

His expression must have darkened despite his best efforts, because Draco started to backpedal.

“I mean no disrespect if you were _close_ to them, of course. It’s just- you don’t choose who your relatives decide to align themselves with, or what they do in the war. There’s a part of my family, mother’s side, that- well. This turned into quite grim topic, huh?” Harry wondered if Draco always talked himself into corners like this, or if he never managed to shut up, or if he was simply blowing off steam. “Which house are you hoping to get into?”

‘One that’s affordable, has running water, heating, and Nagini and I can live in and be left _alone_ at last,’ Harry thought. “Hufflepuff,” he said instead. “Loyalty is a good quality, right? And there’s nothing wrong with working hard to get where you want to be.”

“That sounds like a Slytherin thinking,” Draco commented, looking amused. “I’m hoping to get there myself, so we’ll be seeing each other often, hm?”

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and hoped those bloody eight hours would pass as soon as possible.

*******

Nagini followed Harry's advice, knowing that she could trust him to make sure that she wouldn't be spotted yet, and took a brief peek at their surroundings.

The Hogwarts express was indeed majestic and beautiful, and she was overtaken with a peculiar kind of melancholy when she imagined Tom marveling at the Hogwarts Express's beauty before boarding it for the first time, when she imagined his excitement upon finally being taken to his true place of belonging. He had, after all, told her that Hogwarts had been the very first place he had considered his home.

When she felt Harry slow down, she quickly retracted her head again.

“ _Don't become too close with Longbottom,”_ Nagini admonished him quietly. 

After all, he was the other potential prophecy child, making it rather likely that Dumbledore would keep a close watch on him and attempt to turn him into his little soldier. Furthermore, they couldn't allow Dumbledore to realize that the true prophecy child was Harry. They couldn't give him too many opportunities to compare Harry and Longbottom. 

It was when she heard Harry speak to another boy in a tongue she could no longer understand in her snake form that Nagini realized that the boy's smell was _familiar,_ making it easy for her to deduce his identity without Harry introducing him to her: Draco Malfoy – son of Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater, and grandson of Abraxas Malfoy, who had been a member of Tom's innermost circle. 

He was the heir to a family deeply loyal to her former Master, hence it was vital that Harry became close enough with him to convince him to not let his family know about his presence at Hogwarts as soon as possible.

“ _You need to make nice with Draco Malfoy during this train ride,”_ she again hissed quietly. “ _I shall explain everything to you once we can converse freely again, but by the time you reach Hogsmeade Station, you must, under any circumstances, have him think of you favorably. In order to accomplish this, you may show me to him at some point, acting as though you like him enough to let him in on a secret. Rest assured that he will not be frightened.”_

After all, if there were two traits all Malfoys she had met or heard of before had in common, it was that they enjoyed feeling special and were proud Slytherins through and through, hence they would regard any serpent with amazement rather than fear, and letting the young Malfoy heir know of her presence at Hogwarts before the others would make him feel validated and important, making it more likely that he would look upon Harry favorably in return.

*******

On the Hogwarts Express, Pansy didn't look for a seat immediately, having decided to instead find out with whom she would be attending Hogwarts first. There were four sons of the blood-traitor family of redheads, lots of unimportant people whose features she did not recognize, as well as the heirs to various Pureblood families too old for her to befriend right away.

She was just about to pick the rearmost compartment when a blond boy with a pink, chubby face bumped into her.

“I- I'm sorry,” he stammered, avoiding her gaze. “Did you... did you see Trevor?”

“Trevor?” Pansy asked, incredulous that the boy had the _nerve_ to ask her a favor right after bumping into her.

“He's my- he's my toad. He ran away.”

“Look. I don't care that your ugly toad ran away.”

“But-”

“ _Don't_ interrupt me,” Pansy snapped, not caring that the boy was on the verge of tears. “What I _do_ care about is that you're blocking my path. So, _move it_.”

Walking past him with brisk steps, she approached the door of the final compartment, and gasped.

Inside, there were two young men, who couldn't have looked more different from one another, yet they were each incredibly handsome and sophisticated in their own way.

One of them had light blond hair (not dirty blond like the hair of the boy she had just met) and piercing gray eyes that almost almost silver in the light, both of which she immediately recognized as the distinct features of the esteemed Malfoy family, the other had dark hair and eyes in the most vibrant shade of green, and they were both smartly dressed, with their neckties and the collar of their shirts neatly in place.

They both had the appearance of a _prince_.

Pansy's heart was clamoring in her chest when she slowly opened the sliding door and mustered up her most charming smile.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, is this seat taken?”

*******

Harry tried to not look admonished when he heard Nagini. What was wrong with that Longbottom boy? Strangely, talking to him had been like staring in a mirror: he could relate to his worries, and apparently, so did the other boy.

He could ask later. He would also need to know why it was so important to be nice to Malfoy: sure, he was part of the sacred twenty-eight, but Harry wasn’t sure about his war allegiance.

Was he chatting casually with the child of a death eater?

His thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open, and a girl calling them-

 _Gentlemen._ Harry’s ears burned slightly: he felt like anything but, and it sounded like something Nagini would say in a fit of old-fashioned motherliness.

“Er-“

“Why of course not!” Malfoy said, thankfully interrupting his fumbling. His smile was dazzling, and if he hadn’t decided the bloke was too uptight and a tad insensitive just earlier, even _he_ might have swooned. “Go on, feel free to take a seat. My name is Draco Malfoy.”

Harry wondered if he had rehearsed for the occasion, because the way he introduced himself almost felt like it could be a script taken straight out of an etiquette book.

“And I’m Harry. Harry Potter,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt _weird_ , surrounded by people his age, especially people that acted like... socialites. “Uhm, do you need help with that? With your luggage, I mean. I met a bloke earlier who lost his familiar because its tank slid open, you know? It’s hard to keep track of one’s stuff with your hands full.”

“A tank, you say? I wonder why people keep bothering to bring toads anymore. All they do is run away,” Malfoy said, shaking his head. Harry blinked.

“A... toad? Oh. _Oh_ , right! That’s what the letter said! _Toads_!” Harry could smack himself. He did, in fact, smack himself in the forehead. “I thought it was a _snake_! Or some kind of reptile. Or maybe it’s one of these fancy colourful poisonous frogs, and that’s why he was so worried. I’m pretty sure if someone owled the headmaster and asked him nicely, he’d let them bring a bloody _basilisk_ to school.”

“Pay him no mind, he’s a bit of a smart alec, this one,” Malfoy said in a staged whisper towards the girl. Harry rolled his eyes. “Might we know your name?”

*******

Upon having such a dazzling smile directed at her, Pansy couldn't prevent a soft pink blush from creeping onto her cheeks, and her knees were so close to giving in as she accepted Draco's invitation and stepped into the compartment.

“Thank you, Draco,” she said, trying very hard to not stammer.

She didn't mind the other young man's clumsiness as he offered to help her with her luggage, for she quickly observed that it only _added_ to his slightly awkward charm and that he was more than capable of displaying the good manners expected of a proper wizard.

“That would be very kind of you, Harry,” Pansy therefore said, allowing him to take one of the bags she had been carrying and place it on the luggage rack, and took a seat opposite to the two young men.

Unlike in the case of the bumbling idiot, it didn't even occur to her to mock Harry.

She did roll her eyes, however, when he immediately mentioned said idiot, having wanted to purge his puffy face and his pathetic stammering from her memory as quickly as possible and focus solely on the two _princes_ she now shared a compartment with, yet she didn't get a chance to badmouth him, for Draco whispered to her conspiratorially and her mind went blank for a moment.

“My name is Pansy. Pansy Parkinson,” she introduced herself the very moment she regained her composure, and another charming smile lit up her features. “It is nice to meet you, Draco and Harry.”

Wanting to join in on their endearing banter, she added, “But did you say something about snakes? I don't think paranoid senile Dumbledore would allow his students to bring a harmless _blindworm_.”

As the word 'blindworm' left her mouth, she subtly looked in Draco's direction. Rumors said that his family wasn't on great terms with Hogwarts's headmaster, hence she was hoping that by mocking him, she would gain his approval. 

Not wanting to ignore her other company, however, she then turned to Harry and quipped, “Or are you trying to tell me that you've got a snake with you because you asked him _nicely_?” 

There was a part of her already curious about Harry's response, for based on Pansy's first impression of him, his sense of humor was refreshing and unique, and she didn't doubt that he would deliver once again.

*******

As Harry made sure the luggage wouldn’t slip away, he turned around and nodded politely when the girl, Pansy, introduced herself. A pureblood heiress – _another_ one.

Harry wondered for a second if there even were muggleborns in his year.

“Eh, I’m not quite so sure myself,” Malfoy said, as he went to sit back down. “I saw one of the _Weasley_ boys on my way, and he had a big, ugly rat, with yellowing teeth. Quite disgusting, actually. But I guess what father said was true: Dumbledore does play favourites.”

The way he sneered while saying Weasley wasn’t lost on Harry.

“A rat? In a castle full of cats and birds of prey? Honestly, that just sounds like Dumbledore hoping the bloke’s pet dies a painful death,” he mused. “I hope he’s smart enough to realise that.”

“Weasley and smart are two words that don’t belong together in a sentence,” the blond replied, rolling his eyes.

“I’ve always thought they were quite smart. Mr. Weasley gathers intel on muggles, right? That makes sense.” Grey eyes stared uncomprehendingly – and a bit dismissively – at him, so he elaborated. “I mean. Most people underestimate muggles, but they can be very dangerous. And we’re outnumbered. So they’re learning about muggles to blend in and survive if the worst happened. That’s smart, I reckon.”

At least, it made perfect sense to him. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked like he had just told him the Earth was flat.

“I- that’s not- this is not how they-“ He tried to say, growing visibly frustrated. “I’m pretty sure that’s _not_ their intent, but curse you Potter! Why do you _make_ it make sense?”

“I mean, I don’t even know the Weasleys personally, but that’s the whole point behind the statute of secrecy, innit? Not being found?” Harry chuckled. “It’s always hilarious to spot the very obvious wizard or witch in a muggle crowd.”

Malfoy seemed to mull it over, and Harry just hoped he would consider it. He was sick and tired of wizards who didn’t bother to learn about the basics of blending in and put everyone in danger.

He turned to Pansy when she asked a question. Was it really so unheard of? Apparently not, if the whole rat business was anything to go by.

“You may have a point about him going senile,” he murmured, not even maliciously. The leader of the Order _was_ old, after all. Very much so. Only time would tell if his mind was failing him as Voldemort’s had, or if he was just eccentric. “Maybe he forgot about the familiars that are allowed in Hogwarts, because I... uh. I did exactly that, and he said yes.”

Harry then carefully reached inside his robes to stroke Nagini’s head and let her know what he was doing, so she wouldn’t be startled. He slowly picked her up from around his shoulders and set her on his lap, where she could still be warm, and take a proper look at the two.

“This is Nagini,” he said, his voice thick with fondness for his guardian. He managed to reign in the hint of pride that always wormed its way into his tone in occasions like this, just barely. Even in snake form, saying he was associated with Nagini in any way, let alone being sort-of her child, felt like the highest honour. “And she’s _amazing._ ”

Malfoy’s eyes practically _sparkled_ in awe, and it was quite obvious he was trying to hold back from showing his excitement.

Turns out, Nagini had been right about his reaction. Huh.

*******

Pansy almost couldn't suppress a pout at Draco not reacting positively to her joke at Dumbledore's expense, at the way the two young men appeared to be ignoring her in favor of continuing their conversation on their own.

As she thought of ways to rejoin their discussion, it occurred to her that Harry spoke as though he himself had experienced a war, as though he had stood on a battlefield and fought for his own survival.

'But that's ridiculous... right?'

Lily and James Potter were dead, hence he couldn't have internalized his parents' experiences either. And why did he find anything odd about how wizards behaved in a crowd of muggles? 

Something about his words and mannerisms was _off_ , and Pansy intended to get to the bottom of it as she became better acquainted with him.

Pansy was pulled out of her thoughts when _finally_ , Harry acknowledged her presence again and returned to their original topic, though when she was just about to speak ill of Dumbledore for a second time to vie for Draco's favor once again, Harry's next words and actions caused her eyes to widen and a soft gasp to escape her parted lips.

Her heart rate picked up when suddenly, a real snake was gazing at her with frighteningly intelligent eyes, and for a moment, she was frozen in place, neither able to run nor lean in to get a better look at the dangerous predator in front of her.

Upon noticing the excited sparkle in Draco's eyes, however, she swallowed the lump that had been forming in her throat, and breathed, “She's _beautiful_.”

She wasn't lying, for there was a deadly elegance about Nagini that Pansy was capable of appreciating despite her slight fear of her.

“Though how _exactly_ did you get Dumbledore to let you bring her?” she asked, then looked at Nagini's protruding fangs, and her tone carried a hint of admiration. “She's venomous, right? How do you _control_ her?”

Indeed, Harry's snake was resting on his lap all but peacefully, making no motion to hunt the other familiars on the train even though her very instincts had to be screaming at her to chase them down and _devour_ them. Could it be that Harry was already a powerful wizard at such a young age?

It was after she had observed Nagini for a moment longer and confirmed that she was, indeed, no direct danger to them that an opportunistic thought occurred to her, and Pansy asked, “May I pet her?”

She hoped that by displaying such courage before an animal that was nothing less than Salazar Slytherin's noble symbol, she could impress both Draco and Harry.

*******

Harry shifted a bit uncomfortably at the _kind_ of attention Nagini was getting.

Like a pet, or a toy.

“Well, I sent a long letter in advance, and he said yes. I was shocked too-“

“She _is_ beautiful,” Draco finally said, interrupting him, only to glance back at him apologetically for that. “Pansy has a point, though. How come she’s not going ballistic? Many new scents around here, right?”

The boy glanced at Pansy then, as if looking for confirmation that they were thinking the same.

What were they even _thinking_? That he had her... imperiused, or something? Harry’s hands, that had been resting on her coils to help support her, shifted into a more protective hold.

He fought the urge to not bristle at Pansy’s words, which added insult to injury. Nagini wasn’t- she _did_ deserve tons of affection, but not from people who thought she was a _thing_ to be tamed and controlled.

And yet... he had to play nice.

Reluctantly, he gently picked his guardian up and held her securely in his arms, over to Pansy.

“Nagini’s friendly. She won’t bite,” he said. “But... be careful. No, respectful, that would be a better word. She’s very proud, and she doesn’t like being handled like a puppy.”

Draco peered at the interaction curiously. “Huh. Like a hippogriff?”

 _No, like a bloody human being_ , he wanted to say. “Yeah, something like that,” he said instead.

“Sounds like a handful.”

Harry shook his head, and smiled. “Not really.”

If anything, _he_ had been a bit more of a handful.

” _What would you like to do for your birthday?” Nagini had asked him while he doodled a pretty bad representation of a giant grindylow fighting Godzilla._

_(Nagini had looked unimpressed when he had seen the movie and asked her if radiation could mutate a dragon to make a real, giant atomic dinosaur.)_

“ _Huh?” Harry had been quite distracted, taking further artistic liberties by making the grindylow shoot laser beams out of its eyes._

“ _Would you like to do something special for your birthday?”_

 _Harry put his crayon down, then. She had asked what he wanted to_ do _. Not what he_ wanted _for his birthday._

_His eyes held a hopeful gleam as he looked at his not-his-mum. She must have remembered the previous year, when he had meekly confessed he just wanted a hug._

_Toys were nice, and cake was delicious, but Harry just..._ wanted _. He wanted so much. Was he selfish for wanting more? He didn’t know how to put it into words, so he just asked for a hug._

 _And Nagini had just offered to_ do _something._

“ _A... picnic?” He finally said. A muggle girl once told him about the picnics she went on with her parents when the weather was nice. It had sounded fun._

_In the end, he got another toy that year. But he did so at the shore of a beautiful lake, eating homemade snacks with Nagini, and receiving the warmest of hugs._

_The emptiness in his chest he couldn’t quite name yet – he was so lonely, she was sad, she worked until late, he wondered if she_ loved _him – filled in, slowly. He clung to her dress, and she held him in her arms._

_Something had shifted. From then on, his birthdays were joyful._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again~ In addition to our new chapter, which we hope you'll enjoy, there is also an incredibly gorgeous piece of title art drawn by the immensely talented Mika now! You can find it in the first chapter <3

The rest of the train ride passed rather quickly. As per Harry's instructions, Pansy had been careful when petting Nagini's head, having picked up on his immense protectiveness of her. Her scales had been pleasantly cool and smooth and the snake had held still and allowed Pansy's caresses – all while fixing her with those strangely intelligent eyes. 

After that, an old woman selling sweets had passed their compartment. Harry had insisted on buying Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans for them all as if to show that – despite him not being a pureblood, his allowance wasn't lacking and he was anything but poor – as if to prove what she had already assumed based on his refined appearance. 

The three of them had talked about anything and everything until the train had finally reached Hogsmeade Station, and it was only after they had exited it that it occurred to Pansy that Harry, despite having been talkative and friendly when Draco and her had bragged about their families and spoken excitedly about their fondest childhood memories, hadn't spoken a single word about his own upbringing and home life even as he had gone, and while she found the air of secrecy surrounding the young Potter heir quite intriguing, it was another mystery she intended to get to the bottom of.

Upon stepping on the platform, a giant of a man with an unruly beard and hair beckoned them over, saying, “Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! Firs'-years follow me!” 

Pansy's nose crinkled at his coarse accent and his sloppy appearance. Was he a drunkard? The giant said a few more things, yet she blocked them out, not wanting to focus on his unpleasant voice.

Following a narrow path, they soon reached a great black lake as well as a fleet of little boats by the shore, and she picked up on a loud 'Ooooooh!' from her schoolmates as they all got their very first glimpse of the impressive castle. 

Soon, Pansy would be its Princess. 

***

As the train had come to a stop, Nagini slithered up Harry's shoulders and once again wrapped herself around his small shoulders. It wasn't only to conceal her form, however, for she knew that the night air would be cold, and she preferred Harry's body warmth over the feeling of sluggishness the cold never failed to induce. 

For a while, she did nothing but focus on the new smells – there was the distinctive smell of a body of water, the smell of grass, a forest in the distance (the smell of  _ prey animals _ ) – as she waited for Harry to give her the sign that it was safe for her to take a look at her surroundings, and when he did and she regarded the majestic castle along with Harry and the group of first-years, Nagini held her breath, for it felt as though she had already seen its many towers and turrets before, as though she herself had walked many of its hundred and forty two staircases that she knew to be inside. 

It was impossible to not marvel at Tom's immense skills as a storyteller there at then, at how he had weaved such a vivid and intricate image of the castle with so much eloquence that Nagini's first impression of it had been influenced to this extent: It felt as though she herself were coming home.

*******

It was painfully obvious to Harry that both Draco and Pansy lived without a care in the world. The way they freely spoke of joyful moments instead of guarding them close to the chest like the treasures they were, it was... very telling. 

He was determined not to be rude, however, and one of the things Harry knew about making friends was that kindness went a long way, but so did food. 

So he bought snacks. Bertie Bott’s beans always managed to be at the very least mildly entertaining, and Draco – when had he stopped being Malfoy, anyway? – had proved to make the most hilarious expressions when faced with the taste of muddy shoes. 

For all the cheer that came with the train ride, when he was reminded again of the fact that he was, indeed, going to Hogwarts, a sense of solemnity overcame him. 

He was doing this. He was really doing this. 

Breathing in sharply, he blindly fumbled to touch Nagini, to reassure himself that she was, in fact, still there. 

A large man – some sort of hybrid? – guided them towards a lake, and- 

Oh. 

_ “I didn’t... I didn’t picture it like this,” _ Harry hissed lowly, taking advantage of the others’ awed noises.  _ “Nagini, this is beautiful, I... are you sure we can stay here? It’s so... grand.” _

“Are you shushing your snake?” Draco said, and when had he gotten so close? Harry started abruptly. “Is she getting antsy, or what?” 

“I’m... I’m trying to make reassuring noises, she’s getting cold...” He fibbed, licking his lips. “There’s not many ways to tell a snake you’re getting someplace warmer, are there?” 

“Hm. Unless you’re a certain someone, that is.” 

Draco’s expression was a bit unreadable. A strange mixture between uncomfortable and faintly amused. Harry frowned. 

“A certain someone?” 

“You know, the only parselmouth in Britain? ...forget about it, it was a poor attempt at humour,” Draco said dismissively, gesturing with his hand as if waving the thought away. Perhaps too dismissively, Harry thought. Or was he being paranoid? “Pansy, what do you think? Should we ride the boat together, the three of us?” 

“Didn’t that man with the thick Bristolian accent say it should be four people in the boats?” Harry wondered, absently. 

“He said no more than four. Keep up, Potter! Or is his accent too thick for you?” Draco snorted. “That would be an understandable offence, actually.” 

While Draco shot an amused glance towards Pansy, obviously at the large man’s expense, Harry busied himself by looking for a boat, only to find, once again, Neville Longbottom.

He looked increasingly desperate and close to tears. Harry bit his lips, feeling a pang of sympathy for the other boy. 

“Hey, Neville,” he called out. “Still no luck with your familiar?” 

The blond turned to look at him, and he froze. Wait, no, he wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at Pansy. Huh. 

“H-he w-wasn’t in the train, I checked,” Neville stammered, now clearly keeping his gaze averted. 

“Huh. Maybe he hopped into someone’s pocket? It’s a toad, right? Don’t they like dark places?” Harry tilted his head, deep in thought, and privately very glad for the distraction. He liked feeling useful. “Have you asked around?” 

“Y-yeah, a girl named H-Hermione is helping me, too,” he mumbled. 

“See? He’s already helping you make friends,” Harry said, a tiny smile slowly forming on its own. “I’m sure you’ll find him, and this whole thing will just be a funny story to remember about how you first met your best friends in a couple years.” 

“Do you reckon he’s always like that?” Draco whispered to Pansy, raising an eyebrow. “Tossing life advice like candy to everyone he meets, I mean.”

*******

“It wouldn't surprise me, to be honest,” Pansy whispered back, “I wonder what he's got in mind, talking to the likes of  _ him _ as though they're  _ friends _ .”

She had to admit that she was pleased by the blond coward's panicked response to seeing her again, for it had been the exact reaction she had been hoping to elicit from any lowlife daring to stand in her way, and the kindness Harry had just shown the blond boy displeased and made her feel envious alike, having hoped that it was reserved for those  _ worthy _ of it.

At the very least, Draco didn't appear to share Harry's sentiments and was equally displeased by his behavior, hence once the three of them had made their way to an empty boat and climbed into it, Pansy, who was sitting opposite to the two young men, made sure to bat her eyelashes at Draco in particular, hoping to catch his attention as a young woman.

When the boats – boats enchanted to move on their own – reached the shore at last and the door to the Castle swung open, they were greeted by a black-haired witch in emerald-green robes, whom Pansy knew to be McGonagall, Head of House Gryffindor and Hogwarts's Transfiguration teacher.

According to Pansy's father, McGonagall was rather strict and not one to be messed with, but since Pansy was no fool and perfectly capable of breaking silly rules without being caught, she rather doubted that she would catch McGonagall's attention in any negative way.

She didn't have to listen to McGonagall's boring speech, already knowing that they were about to be Sorted into their respective Houses, hence she focused on Draco's long eyelashes until the door to the Great Hall opened and they all lined up, waiting for their turn.

*******

Given how the Malfoy heir had spoken to Harry immediately after Harry had spoken to Nagini, it wasn't a stretch to assume that he would soon come to suspect something about her, hence Nagini made a mental note to scold Harry the very moment that the two of them could converse in private.

She understood his nervousness as well as his awe at the magnificent Castle, understood how it may have caused him to forget about her previous warnings, yet the two of them had come too far for her to allow her plans to fail due to Harry's carelessness.

As the new students waited for their upcoming Sorting, Nagini wondered what her own House would have been, had she had the opportunity to attend a school of magic like Hogwarts, had she grown up as a witch rather than a circus freak.

_ 'Slytherin or Ravenclaw,' _ Tom had murmured in her ear before chuckling. _ 'I can imagine that the old Hat would have had a hard time in your case, for you are both brilliant and cunning.' _

*******

Harry wasn’t exactly sure what happened, but in the blink of an eye, Draco and Pansy seemed to share a sort of complicity that he simply... didn’t. 

Perhaps he should have expected it. He wasn’t used to being around other kids after all, and he’d led a pretty weird life with Nagini. By any means, all the others should think him weird. Why would Draco and Pansy be any different? 

That didn’t make the thought sting any less, though. 

Or maybe he was just overthinking, as always. He didn’t know. 

“Is this yer toad?” The large man said as the boats stopped, picking a squirming little creature out of the air, mid-jump. 

“Trevor!” Neville cried in relief, followed by a bushy-haired girl who looked perhaps a bit stuck-up and rigid.

Harry could empathize. He felt very pressured to make a good (and  _ quiet _ ) impression, too. 

“Thank you very much, Mr. Hagrid,” she said politely. Neville searched for his gaze as he cradled the toad to his chest, and Harry flashed him a tiny smile, as if saying ‘I told you so’. 

He then paid rapt attention to Professor McGonagall’s speech. Others whispered and speculated on what the Sorting might entail. Someone loudly suggested it might have to do with fighting a troll, which had several students trying to come up with troll-fighting plans. 

Hadn’t Nagini mentioned something about a hat? He wasn’t particularly worried about any trolls.

No, his worry lay squarely in his future House. He couldn’t be a Slytherin.  _ Anything _ but a Slytherin. Having to use his name instead of an alias was already dangerous. Bringing Nagini along was absolutely necessary, but also attracted attention. But being sorted into  _ Voldemort’s old House _ ? 

That was just painting a target on his back, and not just inviting attacks from the man himself, but his enemies, too. If Dumbledore’s side thought he was a new Voldemort in the making – dear Merlin help him  _ no _ – he would never, ever be left alone. 

He had to be smart about this. He had to... 

“Do you think there’s... any way to  _ rig _ the Sorting?” He whispered lowly to Draco and Pansy, trying to not let the apprehension in his voice show as the hat, now in view, merrily sang a tune that had the troll-fighters visibly relaxing. “To cheat, or... to trick the hat somehow.”

*******

“Why would you need to do that?” Pansy whispered back incredulously. “You're obviously a Slytherin; there's no way that noisy Hat won't notice.” 

Harry was far too cautious to be anything but a Slytherin, hence there was no doubt in Pansy's mind that he would be Sorted into the House of his choice. “I can assure you that you'll be with Draco and me,” she whispered kindly, keeping one eye on McGonagall, for she didn't want to be admonished on her very first day, preferably not at all. 

One by one, the new students were called to the front, so the Hat would Sort them into their respective Houses. Sometimes, it was rather quick to make a decision; other times, it took the Hat up to an entire minute to decide on the House the most suitable for the student in question. When the blond boy, who had been an eyesore from the moment Pansy had boarded the train, was called to the front, Pansy gleefully expected the Hat to announce Hufflepuff as his new House, for it was the most useless among the four Houses and therefore suitable for a weak clutz like him. 

**“Gryffindor!”** the Hat announced contrary to her expectations, and her brows rose to her hairline before her features twisted into a venomous sneer.

“Who would have thought that the fat crybaby would end up in Gryffindor of all Houses,” she whispered to Draco and Harry. “Bravery and courage? That boy can't even look for his ugly toad without having a breakdown. Then again, my father did say that the most stupid people tend to end up in Gryffindor.” She smiled, wanting to further insult the pathetic moron when Draco was called to the front. “I'm not going to wish you luck 'cause I know you won't be needing it. See you at the Slytherin table.” 

And indeed, the Hat had barely touched the tips of Draco's hair when it already announced Slytherin as his new House, and Pansy clapped along with the students sitting at the Slytherin table. 

“See? It'll probably be as quick in your case too,” she reassured Harry, sensing that his concerns most likely hadn't been put to rest. “The three of us are going to have a wonderful time in Slytherin, I just know it.” 

When her own name was called at last, Pansy gave Harry a final smile and whispered, “See you on the other side” before approaching the chair at the front of the Great Hall and waiting for the Hat to be placed on her. 

There was no trace of nervousness that plagued her mind, for she couldn't have been more confident that the Hat would Sort her into Slytherin. 

_“I can sense a great amount of cunning, loyalty to those you consider close to you as well as ambitiousness,”_ she could hear the Hat's voice in her head. “ _There's no House for you but..._ **Slytherin**!”

*******

Harry wisely kept quiet about how Pansy’s reassurances did, in fact, the opposite of calming him down. 

He did share her surprise when Neville was sorted into Gryffindor, though. He had hoped to see the boy in Hufflepuff, or if he didn’t manage to trick the hat, at least know he’d be safe in the House of  _ kindness _ . 

“Some people aren’t what they seem,” he muttered reproachfully, shooting a glare at Draco’s quiet snickering. “Besides, my parents were Gryffindors. Calling an entire House stupid just looks... rude, pointless and  _ dangerous _ . You can’t just underestimate people like that.” 

In the end, though, Draco got what he wanted. Harry clapped politely, even if that exchange had left a sour taste in his mouth. Nagini said he was supposed to make  _ allies _ , not enemies, but even his cautious outlook couldn’t force him to roll over and take an insult to his birth parents’  _ memory. _

Still, Pansy tried to be helpful. She probably didn’t mean to hurt him. She was...  _ sheltered _ . Feeling conflicted, he swallowed hard and didn’t reply to her further ‘encouragement’. 

He clapped for her when she was sorted, his mind a hazy blur and his heart hammering in his chest. His hand reached for Nagini instinctively, looking for comfort just by reminding himself of her presence once more. 

“Potter, Harry!” Professor McGonagall called, and he felt several pairs of eyes on him, all coming from the staff table. Was it his imagination, or were the odd older Gryffindor and Slytherin staring too?

Taking a deep breath, he soldiered on forward, taking a seat on the stool. He thought long and hard about his loyalty for Nagini, how much he just wanted to be a  _ family _ , he wanted nothing special, just a chance to be a family and some peace at last. Professor McGonagall held the slightly squirming hat on one hand, when- 

“ **Slytherin!** ” 

She hadn’t even lowered it. Before she had the chance to put it away, Harry beat her to the punch. 

“That can’t be right. You didn’t put it on my head,” he protested. “It must have sensed  _ your _ magic first, Professor.” 

She made an offended noise. “Mr. Potter, I am the head of  _ Gryffindor _ house. But if you so insist...” She placed the hat on his head, covering his eyes. “Have at it, young man. Just to be sure. The nerve, accusing  _ me _ of being a Slytherin...”

She muttered the last words, but Harry could hear her loud and clear. Just as he could hear the Hat’s voice in his head. 

_ “You disagree with my Sorting, huh? Of course you would find a loophole to try and be resorted, Harry Potter,” _ it said, sounding more amused than it had any right to be.  _ “Very cunning, indeed.” _

_ “I can’t be in Slytherin! I’ll attract too much attention in there, can’t I go to Hufflepuff instead?” _ Harry thought, desperately. 

_ “And being resorted would not attract attention? My, you are proving to be quite the spectacle already. I sense loyalty in you, yes. And not a small amount of kindness,”  _ the Hat conceded.  _ “But your self-preservation instincts are strong, and your will go to great lengths to achieve your goals. You want revenge. And you want your guardian to be happy, yes? Those are great ambitions to have.” _

_ “I just want us to be a family,” _ he thought mournfully.

_ “What greater ambition is there than happiness, for one’s self and others? I make no mistakes, Harry Potter. Oh, and do give the woman around your neck my best. Her suspicions are correct, she would be a hard choice in the past, but right now? She would have made an excellent Slytherin student.” _ The hat chuckled, and Harry felt helpless. The next words were spoken out loud. “Have you lost faith in my abilities, Minerva? I stand by what I said. He belongs in  **Slytherin!** ” 

The Hat was then unceremoniously plucked from his head, and to Harry’s embarrassment, a significant amount of people was staring now. He felt his cheeks growing hot. 

“Come on, Mr. Potter. Your uniform changed a minute ago,” Professor McGonagall said. “There are other students waiting in line, you must join your new House.” 

Mortified by her words and the weight of the stares, he nodded mutely and joined Draco and Pansy. He was greeted by confused clapping, and scrutinizing looks. 

“What  _ was _ that?” Draco asked, brows furrowed. 

“I- er. I wanted to make sure. If the Hat can pluck out peoples’ thoughts at a distance like that, why bother putting it on? It didn’t make any sense, of course I had to call bull,” he replied defensively. “What if someone had rigged the Hat  _ before _ me?” 

“That’s... that’s the most Slytherin thing I’ve heard in my entire life,” Draco said, dumbfounded. “Listen to yourself. You planned to rig the Hat. You were worried someone else had tampered with it and  _ demanded _ a resorting. You’ve been jumpy since the train ride. Your bloody  _ familiar _ is a snake. And you wanted to  _ make sure _ you’re a Slytherin?” 

“You’re starting to make me sound like an idiot here,” Harry grumbled, looking away. “I was just... considering all the options.” 

“Considering all your options,” Draco parroted, sarcastically. “You  _ obviously _ aren’t listening to yourself speak right now. Unbelievable.” 

Harry sighed, burying his face in his hands. “You can never be too cautious.”

He completely missed the softening, approving looks from his older housemates, who had started to suspect him of being an unworthy hatstall.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have been enjoying this fanfic so far and would like to read the most recent updates prior to our posting schedule, you are more than welcome to join our roleplaying server, on which this particular roleplay has been taking place, as a reader.
> 
> All you need to do is ask us for the link~
> 
> Comments are always appreciated <3


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